Charles Harris charged with illegal burning; tried to cremate his dog, set house on fire

By Greta Kreuz
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A Dale City man tried to cremate his deceased dog Wednesday, but ended up setting his house on fire.

Charles Harris' house on Kingston Road suffered extensive damage from the fire, smoke, and the water to put the fire out. It's is unlivable for now.

Neighbors say Harris' dog, Thor, a Rottweiler, died last Friday. But when he tried to get an agency to pick up Thor and dispose of his body, they all said he had to bring the dog in himself and his car is too small.

Officials say that at about 9 a.m. Wednesday, Harris piled wood around Thor's body and then poured on gasoline, but the fire jumped from the dog to the house, and went up the back of the house to the roof.

So, nearly a week after his death, Thor was still lying there, under a big blue tarp in Harris' scorched backyard.

A neighbor, Hugo Schiattareggia says he offered Harris his wagon to move Thor, but got no response.

"I'll just be glad when the dog's gone and the smell's gone," he said. "Now I've got death and fire smell in the air."

Charles Harris was cited for illegal outside burning. And Thursday afternoon, animal control finally came and took Thor away.